Nothing is Real and Eternal—Nothing
by Muffintine
Summary: [complete] [klaroline] The blood of another on her hands, Caroline flees, those who would wish her dead hot on her heels. She calls on Klaus to help her, sealing her own fate. They embark on a journey of sinful heat and carnal desires. She loses herself in it all; but, even in the darkest of places, the end decision has always been hers and hers alone. A dark and smutty love story.


**This is a collaborative fiction written by angellous08, luludancing, banana71588 and I. We hope you enjoy.**

**WARNING: Very dark. Blood sharing. Possessive behavior. Violence. Graphic sex.  
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**Don't own, never will.**

**EDIT: This is AU. Caroline is human. Klaus is still a vampire.  
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**EDIT2: This story is DARK. It is also unabashed porn. It was never meant to have a plot. Sorry if that is not your cup of tea.  
**

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She was running through the forest, thrashing through the undergrowth, branches grabbing at her long skirts, twigs breaking underneath her feet. Her ragged breathing was loud in her ears as she tried to focus on running. She had to get away. Get away from _them_.

The sound of barking hounds echoed through the forest. Fear dominated her senses, blood pumping twice as fast through her veins as she pushed on.

As the shouts of the men and clamor of hooves against dirt neared, she could feel the forest floor thunder underfoot.

_Run, Caroline! Run!_

Her chest heaving and breath labored, she hid behind a tree. The sound of the yelling men grew fainter by the minute, assuring her of her momentary safety. Exhausted, she bent over, holding her knees to her chest and attempting to slow her breathing. She needed to think; she couldn't run forever and believing she could was absurd. She needed a solution that wouldn't ultimately end with her head on a stick.

What needed to do, was find a friendly face; one that wouldn't hold judgment or fear of suppression. She needed to find the only man brave enough to come to her aid.

She needed to find Klaus.

He had warned her, all those years ago. He had told her that Tyler Lockwood would bring upon her downfall; that he was a fool who would drag her down with him. Oh, she could just kick herself, the infuriating man had been right. And here she was, scared out of her mind, hiding behind a measly tree, awaiting her death. Why hadn't she taken him up on his offer? Why did she have to choose Tyler, conman extraordinaire?

Look where it got her, hunted like an outlaw in the night.

Caroline was quite aware she only had herself to blame. Though, she would do anything, _anything at all_, to save herself. Even call upon the man who she dared never speak to again, the illustrious Klaus, shadow of the night. Tears fresh in her eyes and heart beating rapidly beneath her chest, she clasped a silver cross necklace tightly in her grasp. "Klaus, please," she prayed just above a whisper, "help me."

And then, she was on the move again.

Despite the disparity of the situation, she wasn't quite sure what terrified her more; being discovered by her pursuers, or the moment when Klaus would finally appear to save her. He claimed he needed no payback for his help, that the moment she realized her mistake he would be there, but she knew otherwise. Talk of vampirism would come about, and he would use the sweet seduction of his words and the sinful heat his tongue to try to change her mind.

Caroline didn't want to become like him; she didn't want to be a monster, a creature of the night. But she feared that with time, her guard against Klaus would fail and she would give into him.

But at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to see him. To hear his voice, feel the heat of it dripping down her spine and sizzling across her flesh. He would save her, and then…who knew what.

Shaking those thoughts out of her head, she took a deep breath and brought herself together. Taking another step forward, she decided to make a run for the river she knew ran east of here. Once there, she would continue her trek south, towards the one place she swore she would never go; his castle.

Abruptly, the hair at the back of her neck stood and she knew that she was no longer alone. While there was hardly a sound in the night air, the men had long faded into the distance, she could still hear the faint hoot of an owl, the scurrying of forest vermin and the slight gust of wind. Yet, there was something more in the dark of the night prickling at her neck; someone was watching her.

She could feel the gaze burning through the back of a skull. Her heart rate picked up, her mouth went dry.

It was _him_.

She was sure of it.

"I know you are here," she called out into the darkness surrounding her. She tried to see but there was only so much her human eyes could discern in the pale moonlight. "Klaus?"

A shift in the air and a crunch of leaves underfoot had her whirling around, heart in her throat.

There he stood, trademark smirk in place, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned up against a tree; he looked like he hadn't a care in the world.

"In a spot of trouble, love?"

She studied him in the faint light of the moon, unsure of how to frame her words, dreading the mocking that was sure to come her way. He was the way she had left him; cold and warm rolled into one infuriating structure; eternal, in every way possible. Not one aspect had changed about him since she last saw him; his face was still framed by blonde curls, eyes shone with mirth, prominent jaw sported his characteristic stubble and his lips quirked upwards into a ghost of a smirk.

And then there was Klaus, who would be damned if he didn't get to jest and mock her for not listening to him. No one listened to him, not even when he was yelling the inevitable in their faces but one day they'd all regret pushing him away, ignoring him, and he'd revel in their pain, never coming to their aid.

That was something he couldn't do with Caroline. Try as he might, he could never ignore the woman who'd taken permanent residence in the forefront of his mind.

"Trouble in paradise?"

She looked up from her clasped hands and met his eyes, sarcasm dripping from his every syllable; he wanted to make her admit it. She didn't care; she wasn't as egoistical as he was. "I should have listened to you," she admitted weakly.

He didn't make an effort to reply, finding no need to comment on such irrefutable facts. Instead, he urged her on, "why so?"

"Tyler... he's not what I thought he was," she said, her voice trembling as her eyes glassed over. "Everything was fine, happy even, for so long... but then something happened and he, turned into someone... something else."

"What did you do?" Klaus inquired, eyes knowing as his voice lost any sign on mirth and instead gained a concerned tone. Caroline's pained face was the one thing he was unable to be indifferent to.

"I-I killed him," she whispered, a lone tear streaming down her face. "I had to. I had to kill him."

Klaus was silent a long while, simply watching her. She was underdressed for such a cold winter night, her ivory dressed smudged and stained with dirt; her feet bare. She trembled slightly, frame so small and delicate. He reached forward, fingers tracing the underside of her chin before sliding to the edge, gripping it tight and tilting her head upwards. "The world is not so black and white," he said, voice neutral, eyes blank. "That much, I told you." His gaze softened as he released her chin to wipe away the tears staining her rosy cheeks. "You shouldn't worry yourself over such an insignificant matter, love."

Caroline looked up at him, blue eyes red and puffy. "Insignificant?" she echoed. "How can you say that? I … _I took a life_."

"As have I," he returned, smirking.

Caroline flinched. "I never wanted to be like you."

He leaned forward, hand leaving her face to follow the silver linked chain he had given her all those years ago up the base of her neck. "And yet you kept this," he said, features relaxing. Despite all her protests, she still wore his gift proudly. He'd had the finest witch he could find spell it for her. Whenever she needed him, she could call upon him and he would show without a second thought.

She laughed, the sound of it quiet and broken. "I was never very good at letting go." Caroline moved forward then, grasping Klaus' arm tightly. "He used me," she whispered. "He wanted me to… to be a cheap whore, and for what? I, but he tried to force me to and I.. I…" she broke off, soft sobs wracking her body.

Klaus pulled her into a gentle embrace, allowing her tears to wet the front of his shirt. "Then he is fortunate it was you, not I, that killed him," he said menacingly, sharp edge to his voice. "He would have suffered. You did him a kindness, I assure you."

For a moment, she allowed him to hold her. Let herself sink into the strength of his arms and the warmth of his body; he was always so warm, despite the abrasive chill that so often marred his temperament. As she melded herself against him it was as if all the turmoil that churned incessantly in her heart floated away; dispersed into the air, whisked away on the tide of a soft breeze. Calmness stole across her, left her drifting weightless in that brief moment of peace; just a moment, just a blink. That was all she allowed.

But because he was Klaus and she was Caroline, no matter the circumstances, no matter that she owed him her life (yet again), she pulled away, scrubbing her knuckles over her cheeks to destroy the evidence of her weakness. He didn't seem surprised by her sudden distance; merely aloof as he gazed at her with an expectant look upon his face.

"This changes nothing," she affirmed. She meant for it to be command, but it came out sounding rather like a question; hesitant and unsure, the quiver of her voice reflecting the rapid beating of her heart.

Klaus looked almost affronted by her inquiry. "Of course not, Caroline." Her heart pounded faster as he stalked towards her, like a predator would to its prey. "One day you'll come to me for _that_ of your own free will. Mark my words."

He stopped before her, his cheeks dimpled as he smirked down at her. "For now, I'm assuming you'd like a place to stay for the night. I can be quite accommodating, love. I'm sure you remember."

Heat bloomed across her cheeks at his reminder; oh yes. She remembered.

As much as she tried to forget, she would never be able to completely erase that night years ago.

The memory was what she held onto in the darkest moments of her life, when she thought all was lost and that nothing would get better. She would think on that night and tether herself to sanity. It was what stopped her from completely losing her mind.

That was the night he showed her what it felt like to be a woman. To be loved. Worshipped. Touched.

The feel of his arms around her, his naked skin brushing hers, the crush of her breasts against his hard chest, the feel of his strong thighs against her, the graze of his stubble along her neck and the soft firm lips of his showering kisses on her skin.

She flicked her gaze up at him and took in the knowing glint in his eyes. He knew what his mention of that night did to her. She knew he could hear the rush of blood and sense the way her body reacted to his. Her tongue snaked out to wet her lips and his gaze followed the muscle; followed the trail of her pink tongue as it caressed her full lips.

Clenching her hands by her side, she felt her nails digging into her palms. It was ridiculous that she was feeling this way. He had barely come back to her life for ten minutes and already he was stirring up long buried emotions.

She raised her eyes to meet his heated gaze once again. His eyes had turned amber, a variety of emotions clouding them, _want_ dominating them all.

She inhaled sharply, the intensity of his gaze almost causing her to take a step back. However, his hand flashed forward and clamped around her arm, stilling her. The heat from his grip seared through her, making her entire body tingle. He was so close to her, their breaths mingling. All she had to do was lean forward and her breasts would be grazing his chest.

He clenched his jaw tightly, a vein pulsing outwards from his forehead as he tried to rein in his emotions.

She leaned forward, pressing chest against chest.

Caroline found she could no longer breathe. Shallow gasps escaped her mouth as heat pooled in her center, making her crave him. Crave his mouth on hers, his tongue plunging in and taking what she dared not offer. She wanted his mouth over her heated skin, his hands to hold her against him. She wanted to feel his hard body pressing down on her lithe, pliant body.

She wanted his cock inside of her, to fill her up; she wanted to feel loved, wanted to feel safe, wanted to feel cherished, but most of all she wanted him to ravage her, make her scream his name to the stars. For him to make her beg for release, to feel him moving underneath her as she rode him, make him growl her name as she bit his neck, her breasts rubbing against his chest, to take his cock in her mouth and have him at her mercy.

She wanted it all.

And she wanted it _now_.

She was consumed by her thoughts; plagued by the vivid memories so fresh in her mind. She carefully catalogued her one night with Klaus, the one night of her life she so desperately wanted to erase from her mind but her heart wouldn't allow her. It meant something to her, whether she wanted to accept it or not; whether she let him know it or not. She would always be infected with that one memory, everything he did that night, from his smoldering lips to his heated eyes—he claimed a piece of her heart and mind.

It remained with Klaus as well, for all the years of loneliness he endured. She would never know that those memories, those small moments of bliss on her face were what kept him from losing himself completely. She had a way of taming his beast and yet, at the same time, reveling in it.

He wished she hadn't given that up so easily, and for what? Tyler Lockwood? She did have a valid argument, however, no matter how hard he tried to dismiss it.

He _was_ a monster.

And monsters make monsters.

The dim glow of torches and the shouts of men looking for an unlucky soul to lynch grew present once more. Klaus scowled, green eyes darkening at the way Caroline tensed against him. He slipped her hand in his. "This way," he said in a hushed tone, leading her away from the angry mob roaming the forest in search of her.

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"You can take this room."

Caroline startled, turning around wildly to see Klaus standing inside a room, far away from the staircase she was standing near. He had found accommodation for the night in the old castle he resided in, right by the river. She walked closer to him, inch by inch and then stopped… it was the same room.

_The_ room.

He grasped her wrist firmly and led her in, all the while watching her face curiously. What was she thinking?

She stood by the foot of the bed, wrapping her arms around herself as the images invaded her mind; a mix of limbs and flesh and the sounds… oh the _sounds_. She'd never thought herself capable of such wanton noises.

Another arm slithered around her; she didn't flinch, she had known he would seek her out eventually. She wriggled in his grip, attempting to think of anything, _anything_ other than him; his scent, his hands, his lips… and his _damnable_ tongue. She'd never known such a measly little muscle could ignite a fire in her heart and soothe her soul.

"Thinking about something?" he asked suggestively. Caroline bit her lip and nodded, his presence not helping her thoughts nor was a certain stiff anomaly sticking into her back. One thing Klaus had never been was shy.

"You know the one thing from that night I will always remember?" he asked, and despite knowing how it would only make her ache from him more, she whispered a soft _yes._

"I learned of your body that night, Miss Forbes. The lightest touches that arouse you so, the places where you tickle easiest," he ran a hand along her inner thigh, over her dress, shooting a cocktail of emotions through her. "How when I bite your shoulder you hiss like a cat," she hissed when he bit her shoulder in demonstration. "How you mewl when I cup your breasts," she rested her head on his shoulder as his hand sneaked up her stomach to cup her breast, and sure enough she mewled. "How you moan when I tested you for the first time," his fingers knotted into her dress, lower and lower as she whimpered in response. "How you screamed when I took you higher than you had ever been before."

With more strength than she knew she possessed, she pushed away from him.

"How proud you must feel," she replied, voice dripping with thinly veiled animosity. "Reminding me of my shame, on the night I put a dagger through a man's heart." Her voice trembled slightly as she fisted her hands in her skirt, panic welling up inside of her. She fixed her gaze on him then, fierce and frightened all at once. "You disgust me."

"Disgust?" Klaus repeated, tone blackening. "What a bold lie, love." He was on her in a flurry of movement, pinning her arms above her with one hand and using the other to force her to look at him. He straddled her, legs holding each of hers in place; his center pressed against hers, hard and weeping for attention. "Even now your body writhes beneath me, remembering the pleasure that mere _boy_ could never give you."

"Get off me," Caroline seethed, renewed anger pulsing through her.

Klaus clutched her chin tighter. "You were the one who begged me to save you," he said, sadistic smirk claiming his lips.

"I've come to realize that was a mistake," she shot back, glaring hotly.

"Mm," Klaus murmured, cocking his head as he gazed down at her hotly. His eyes raked over her, taking in her slim, seductive frame; the curve of her hips and the sweet gleam of her creamy skin. Yes, he had quite missed this view. He released her chin, instead favoring running his hand along the aortic line of her neck, humming softly. He could feel the blood pump, pump, pumping just below the thin layer of skin, begging for him. He leaned down, brushing soft butterfly kisses along the artery. "I still remember how you taste," he breathed against her flesh, grinning. "Like earth, sunshine and lavender, so sweetly seductive," he paused as her breath hitched and her pulse began to race, "shall I indulge myself?"

"Don't you dare," she rasped, fear ever present in the tremor of her voice.

He pulled back reluctantly, looking into her eyes. Fear swam there, along with barely subdued want. He knew he had her. "Would you prefer I treated you like a lady? Bought you presents, claimed you were beautiful and full of light? Offered you the world on a silver platter?" He stilled against her, her heart beating a mile a minute against his chest. His own heart didn't beat in return. As he looked at her, hurt flashed briefly in his eyes. "It would be foolish of me to think such courtship would prevail a second time, sweetheart."

"Klaus," she protested.

He silenced her with his lips, hot and rough with need, anger, and torment. He let his fangs loose, dragging them indelicately across her lower lip, drawing blood. His lips moved against hers in a well-practiced dance, tasting her, enjoying her. She didn't respond at first, lips tight and unwilling, even after he had wounded her. No matter. He nipped her again, eliciting a soft gasp. He took the unwanted invitation and savagely attacked her mouth, melting her to him, releasing her arms as he deepened the kiss, losing hold of his own inhibitions.

The taste of her blood upon his tongue was divine; despite the distance between them that time had forged, that taste he had never quite forgotten. He ravaged her mouth fiercely, demandingly, and something in his chest rumbled as the sweetness of the blood that slipped across his tongue, a hint of tang to follow, dripping down his throat. The taste of it scorched across every nerve in his body, igniting him aflame, and he all but purred into the wet heat of Caroline's mouth as his lips brutally took hers. He wanted more; he _needed_ more.

A triumphant smile stitched its way across his lips as her legs involuntarily hooked around his waist. Her body accepted him, yearned for him, even when her words denied him. She moaned with a wantonness that jolted straight to his cock, her fingers slinking up to his temples to tug at his hair.

It was dizzying and intense; every taste, every touch, each slide of his tongue along hers, rough and forceful; slick and heated and moist. He was a passionate man; hard indeed to keep up with, but Caroline kissed him back with a savageness that surprised even him. He growled softly against her lips at her struggle for control, pulling back with eyes so hot that when he pinned them to her gaze it was as if he pinned her to the bed itself, immovable; rendered his and his alone.

Klaus lost focus when a dribble of blood welled over her lip and rolled down to her chin; his eyes tracked it hungrily before his tongue followed the trail, licking and nipping a burning path down her to her throat. His fangs scraped across the tender flesh there, and they throbbed just as fiercely as his cock did with the desire to have her, to mark her and make her his once again. Unconsciously his body ground itself against hers, and both of them moaned at the sensation, shuddering violently.

The beast within his chest was no longer rumbling. It is clawing at his insides for release, violent and never to be denied.

His tongue moistened the thin flesh of her throat, and he husked quietly, "you'll enjoy it, love. Just like the last time," before his fangs slid firmly into her jugular.

Caroline let out a sharp cry as pain pierced her. Her legs clenched tighter around him, trying to keep the pain at bay. Red spots appeared before her closed eyes as she felt him draw the blood away from her.

Klaus smirked against her skin and took a slow, long drag as her blood filled his mouth. He reveled in the deliciousness of it; the headiness of it almost making him drunk with desire. If she only knew how much power her blood had over him; no one had ever tasted that good. He would burn cities to for a mere drop of it.

Caroline's mind was fogged with sensation. What started out to be painful slowly turned into something pleasurable. The feel of his lips moving against her neck sensuously filled her up with need; need that refused to be pushed away; need that kept fuelling the blazing fire within her.

Arching her back, she pressed her breasts against him, trying to satisfy something—_anything_ within her. Her nerve endings were on fire and she needed, no, _wanted_ to cool down.

His hand moved against the side of her body, and settled on her breast, kneading and squeezing it hard. Caroline moaned and any arguments against these actions vanished from her mind.

Coming up for unneeded air, Klaus looked at the beautiful woman spread wantonly beneath him, her body ready for the taking. Caroline's eyes fluttered open as she looked up at the savage man above her, blood—_her own_ _blood _dripping from his lips.

A twisted smile graced his features, and she could see the lingering madness in his eyes. The light from the roaring fire made him look harsh and ruthless. His hand tightened around her breast, his thumb and index finger rolling over her pebbled nipple.

"Tell me you don't want me now," Klaus taunted. "Tell me that you are disgusted by me!" He ground his erection into her heated core causing her to involuntarily buck. His blood coated fangs glinted in the firelight. "You were always good at lying, but we both know how your body tells the truth," he sneered.

He lowered his head, his lips grazing her ear. "Do you know how much you drive me crazy?" His tongue snaked out to lick her ear. "You think you have the power? That you control me?" His voice was nothing but a low snarl.

A ripping sound filled the air and the cold rush of air on her breasts made her gasp. She looked down to see front of her dress in his hand, his claws retracting back to form his human nails.

She knew she should be afraid and a small fission of fear coursed through her, but it didn't dampen the yearning she felt. "You wouldn't hurt me," her voice shook a little towards the end, as if she doubted her own words.

Grabbing her chin, he yanked it up, forcing her to meet his eyes; forcing her to see the anger, madness, lust, _need_ in them. "_**You are not my weakness!**_" he snarled.

He smashed his mouth against hers, forcing her to taste her blood on his lips. Her lips opened and his tongue entered her mouth, sliding against her tongue, brutally, savagely, taking what she was offering, what he needed, what was _rightfully_ his. She belonged to him and _only_ him.

Caroline moaned as his mouth devoured hers. She was not going to let go without a fight. Her tongue dueled with him for dominance, giving back as much as she could. For as much as she was his, he was hers. She may have denied it numerous times but fate had cruelly shown her how wrong she was. Was she insane to crave the pain and pleasure he brought her? She hungered for him, for what he gave her, for the gentleness and the viciousness. Was she sick to want him? She didn't know, neither did she care.

Her fingers trailed down his back, clawing at him, wanting to feel his skin against her heated skin. Klaus moved from her mouth to her chin, trailing openmouthed kisses, his fingers dancing along her skin, touching, feeling all of her softness. Reaching her hips, his hands moved around to clutch her ass, spreading it wide so that she was open to him. He pressed his hips firmly on hers, rotating it, feeling his pants soak up the juices from her. Her blatant arousal hit his nose, making his painful erection even harder.

Caroline threw her head back, wanton moans escaping her mouth. He moved his right hand around front, letting it trail alongside her thigh; he felt her flesh quiver in anticipation. Just when she thought she had her feelings under control, his mouth closed around her nipple, tongue sucking gently, rolling it about his mouth, making her lose control once more.

"_Klaus_," she moaned loudly, her nails digging into his back once more, drawing blood. Klaus enjoyed how he made her lose herself in him; how she was ripe for the taking. His fingers brushed her wet, silken curls, before arriving at her swollen clit.

Caroline cried out as he brushed his thumb across it, his fingers opening her up, delving into her wetness. He moved his thumb slowly across her while his fingers, eased into her, preparing her for what was to come.

Bombarded with sensation after sensation, Caroline felt herself unraveling under his skilled hands. Her thighs tightened over his hands as she rocked her hips, behaving much like a common whore.

His mouth left her nipple as he pressed his lips to the side of her breast, kissing it gently while his fingers plunged in and out of her slowly, fanning the embers of the flame growing within. Sometimes, she marveled at how gentle he could be.

Any misconceptions she had about his gentle side faded when she felt the familiar prick of his fangs breach the soft skin of her breast. The warmth of his eyes and skin were merely an illusion, because _this_ was the real Klaus. A man with a thirst for blood, for control, and somehow, amidst his numerous vices, only one special spot left reserved for her.

She was his vice. Not his weakness. She made him strong in ways she could never understand, his obsession with her, his need to gain her acceptance and submission gave him a sadistic path in life, one which led to her coming to him one way or another. The only person his obsession harmed was her.

She bit down a scream as he drank from her, biting her lip to suppress her pain. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He was a monster, an animal, and like every other he reveled in his victim's cries of mercy. So she would not cry, she would not plead, she had something his other victims didn't.

She was the object of his affections and attention.

So, with all her might, she pushed on his shoulders, holding back her whimper as his fingers left her throbbing core. She turned on him, pushing him into the bed firmly and grinding her hips against his, eliciting an unbecoming noise from him, causing him to retract from her breast.

She would not be a doll for him to thrash around as he pleased. If he could affect her so, then so could she. Holding him down with one hand on his neck, she lowered her mouth to his, circling her hips as she did, making him bite her lip in response. He knew what she was doing, and he let her; from anyone else he would not have tolerated such show of supposed dominance. But, this was Caroline.

And she had his temporary submission.

His hands moved to her hips to push her further onto his impatient member, demanding more of her attention. She swirled her tongue around his ear lobe, sucking teasingly and smiling at him as she moved down further. Her hand fisted in his shirt, tugging it up and over his head, watching as his eyes darkened with lust. He was enjoying this as much as she was. Her tongue traced patterns over his ivory skin, descending lower and lower until she reached the swell of his pants. His hand tugged at her hair, warningly, a little too harsh for her liking, but informing her of his waning patience. He was letting her play her game, but at the end of the day, he was still in control.

So she slipped her hand under his pants and palmed his hard length, pumping him slowly, torturously, knowing that very soon he would take over. His eyes never left hers as she moved to hover her mouth over the tip of his cock, exhaling hotly, causing him to groan and force her head downwards.

She took him in, in one clean movement, engulfing his length in her hot, wet mouth, taking it in as far as she could, and pulling out again ever so slowly to ensure that she dragged her teeth over his length. Swirling her tongue and showing much needed attention to the sensitive tip, she took him again, clenching her cheeks and humming, adding to his sweet torture.

And then, he'd had enough. Yanking his cock from mouth, he pushed her to the side. Lifting himself onto his knees, he hauled her over to him, placing her legs around his waist and fisting his hands into her messy curls, he forced her to look at him.

"Enough teasing love," he growled, running the tip of his erection over her outer lips, enticing a moan from her throat. That was all encouragement he needed before he plunged into her.

A startled gasp ripped from her throat in surprise as he entered her roughly, pushing deeper and deeper within her, filling her up to the hilt. Her whole body shuddered at the pulse of pleasure that vibrated throughout her entirety. Klaus brought his hand up to cradle her cheek as he began to pump in and out of her, starting slow and gradually gaining speed. It was an oddly gentle act and the heat of his fingers burned into her, claiming her soul. "Klaus," she whimpered, eyes lulling back as he slammed forward, sparking something deep within her.

Klaus leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth, the gesture saying what he dare not; that even as he hurt her, scared her, _penetrated_ her, he still loved her in his own sick and twisted way. He would never tell her. No, he was much too proud for that. But he would show her. He would take her to the highest of highs, watch as her mind whited out and she became nothing in his arms but writhing ecstasy. He would turn her one day, perhaps not now, but soon. He would enjoy her fall from grace; watch the way bloodlust consumed her, making her just like him. Klaus grinned, darkness swimming in his evergreen eyes as he dipped his head down and rested his lips against her already bleeding jugular. "You _shall_ be mine," he growled possessively as he once again sunk his fangs into her tender neck, drinking up her delectable life essence.

Her breath hitched at the pain and so Klaus slowed his pace, dragging his cock out of her torturously slow before slamming home again and again and _again_. Her body jolted backwards, back arching and breasts bouncing, sweat dripping off their perfect domes. Klaus continued to pillage her body as he fed, stopping only when he feared he may have taken too much. He withdrew his fangs and brought Caroline's lips to meet his, the copper taste of her own blood coating her own taste buds.

Lust had consumed her completely and she kissed him back fervently, lips eager and tongue untamed. Her hands come up to thread themselves through his short curly brown locks, gripping and tugging tightly. She had wanted this, _god_ she did. She could feel the tension building in her core, her body preparing for the grand finale. "Faster," she rasped against his bloodied lips, "please," she begged, "god, please, Klaus, I need… I _need_…"

"Need what?" he tormented in return, his own breath growing rapid, his own release so deliciously close.

He pulled away from her, pace of his thrusts slowing, her body trembling beneath him. The veins around his eyes swelled, pulsing beautifully as he stared down at her. His nails grew with frightening speed, stopping at sharp points. He pressed his right index finger against her shoulder hard, but not hard enough to break skin. Not yet. "Tell me," he begun, "what do you require of me, Caroline?" Her name slipped off his tongue with a weighty roll, seductive and possessive. He said her name as if he owned her, as if she was his for the taking.

"I, I…" she struggled, groaning and moaning as her nerves were set on fire by the press of his cock against her inner walls.

Klaus hummed sadistically as he pressed his razor sharp nail against her skin, tearing into her flesh, scratching his name, his claim over her, into her shoulder blade.

Caroline screamed at the sudden pain, thrashing against him. "You need me," he hissed, moving on to carefully scrape the A into her flesh. "Your body is far more honest that your mouth, Caroline." He finished off the S slowly, taking his time and thoroughly enjoying the salty tears pouring from Caroline's eyes.

"You're, _ah_," she begun, groaning as he thrust into her again, hitting just the right spot, "a _monster!_" she spat.

Klaus bent down, lapping up the gushing blood from her wound, before pulling back and admiring his handy work. **KLAUS** was etched flawlessly into her skin. "Do not worry love," he patronized. "All scars heal with time."

"Bastard," she snarled, voice only faltering when another spark of pleasure coursed through her.

"Glad we agree," he replied in dark amusement.

Having marked her to his satisfaction, his hands roved from her shoulders down to her breasts, across the flat of her stomach which trembled beneath his touch, sinking into the appealing curve of her hips. His fingers dug into her skin with bruising strength as he tugged her body closer, leisurely thrusting into her even as he panted, out of control. Caroline peered up at him from beneath her lashes, eyes tracking the slim mold of his hips between her thighs and up to the chiseled strength of his abdomen and chest. He watched her with hooded lids as her gaze openly explored his body, a shudder of pleasure rippling through him at the admiration in her eyes. Klaus licked his lips, the taste of the blood still lingering there, tempting him with its siren call until he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, purring with delight as he rolled his head back. His gripped tightened on Caroline, jerking her towards him again, forcing himself into the moist heat of her body again and again as he rode her along his cock.

Waves of pleasure rolled over her and crested against her, relentless and nearly to the point of suffocation as they engulfed her; her breath rattled in her lungs and caught in her throat, only allowed release if it was in the accompaniment of a helpless moan. They scorched her, these waves of pure fire that sizzled up her skin and carved destruction inside of her body as she shook with the intensity of it all. Her thighs trembled around Klaus, her whole body falling apart, racing with passion and a tingling rapture that danced across her flesh until it centered wholly where his cock stroked in and out of her, hard and deep, assertively, as if he was daring her to claim he had no hold on her.

She wanted to touch him so badly; she couldn't resist the call of his body to hers, not at that moment when the pleasure rippled and plucked a symphony of desire with each thrust of his hips. Klaus knelt above her on his knees, head still thrown back in abandon as he swallowed thickly, adams apple bobbing. She reached her fingers towards him, bucking her hips more fiercely against his to catch his attention.

Klaus grinned wickedly at her, tilting his head to the side and thrusting into her so hard her whole body bowed off the bed, lips falling open in a silent gasp of pleasure. "Finally ready to tell me what you want, sweetheart?" he rasped, his voice hoarser then he intended. "Or shall I torture you some more?" He thrust again, harder still, and his hands trailed up to squeeze her breasts, massaging the soft swells expertly. Caroline hissed as his fingers scraped across the bite mark, even as her cheeks flushed with satisfaction.

"Let me touch you," she breathed, meeting his eyes, her fingers reaching for him once more. Klaus swallowed again, thrown off-guard by her plea, but her gaze was so soft, so full of longing. He couldn't deny her; he could _never_ deny her.

He sat back slightly on his legs, pulling her up until she straddled his lap. Caroline's hands immediately trailed up his chest, fingers soft and adoring as they traced across each ridge of muscle before she raked her nails all way down to his abdomen. Klaus hissed at her, slightly annoyed by the grin she delivered his way, and pounded up inside of her until her arms wrapped about his neck.

Their union increased, and Caroline pressed her face into his throat, muffling her cries of pleasure. Something inside of her tingled with warmth when his arms wrapped securely around her back, as their bodies fused together so close it seemed as if she felt him everywhere, in and around every single part of her. As his cock sunk into her center, filling her up so completely she thought she might stop breathing altogether at the bliss of it, his lips mouthed her earlobe, breath stirring her hair as he grunted sharply, his thrusts coming faster and faster. She writhed her body atop his, both of them racing towards a precipice that was building and building, everything between them slick with sweat, limbs and hands gripping and grasping and tugging and pulling as the waves of pleasure threatened to pull them entirely under and drown them in the euphoria of completion.

Klaus husked her name into her ear, the sound of it a moan, a plea, a desperate need for fulfillment; she had never heard him so desperate before. The sound of it, his pleasure, the satisfaction that her body gave his, like no other human body ever had, set something off inside of her. It shuddered across her, all tingles and explosions and blistering heat. Caroline fell apart in his arms, grinding her hips against his as the tremors wracked down her spine. Klaus groaned as she clenched around his cock, and he pumped up into her furiously one more time before his back stiffened and he purred in satiation.

They fell back on the bed, spent. The room was silent except for their ragged breathing. Klaus rubbed his nose against her neck, taking in the scent of their sex, of him marking her deep inside with his seed. His inner animal growled in satisfaction. He moved gingerly off of her as to not crush her beneath his weight. Wrapping his arm around her, he brought her close to him, enfolding her to his side firmly.

Caroline couldn't move. Despite her racing heart, her body was limp. She could not recall the last time she was so saturated with pleasure. Her cheek rested on Klaus' sweaty chest and she could feel him try to control his breathing. It pleased her that he was not immune to her. Sometimes she would forget the fragile control she had on him. As much as he denied it, she knew that she held power over him.

His fingers drew circles on her naked back sending tingles up her spine, invading the post coital bliss she was currently residing in. And just like that her thoughts crashed into her, along with their—_her_ actions.

She had slept with him.

How could she be so weak to let him have his way with her? To beg for release like a common whore? How did she end up here? She had gone from one moment standing over a dead body, a dagger dripping with Tyler's blood in her hands, to the rising noise of people's angry and shocked shouts behind her, to the next when she was kissing Klaus' blood soaked lips before screaming his name in release.

Pushing away from him, she sat up, drawing a rumpled sheet around her. She looked down at him, lying there languidly, a satisfied smirk playing idly on his lips. His eyes were unreadable, masking any emotion or thought. The throbbing in her shoulder from where he marked his name reminded her to never again fall under his spell.

"This was not the help I envisioned when I sought you out." Caroline voice was scratchy from all of the screaming she had done.

"I aim to surpass expectations," Klaus smiled wickedly, his gaze raking over her sultry form. Her hands clasped the sheet to her chest, as if it would keep her safe from him; his gaze lingered over his name marked into her, his gut clenching as the animal in him snarled approvingly at his claim. He could give her blood to heal it; to prevent a scar from forming but his narcissistic nature protested. He wanted her to be reminded daily that she was his. _As do you_, a ghost of a voice whispered from the farthest most reaches of his mind.

Caroline's back stiffened at his words. "I didn't come to you to repeat the mistake I made in the past," shifting to put some distance between them she continued, "I need your help... to call off the mob… to prove to them that Tyler deserved what I did..," she paused, collecting herself, "what he got."

Klaus almost growled at her words. A mistake? What they had in the past was a mistake? He was the one who had made a mistake! He was the one stupid enough to leave his heart on his sleeve, pursue her, court her, _want_ her. He had even made the idiotic error of telling her how he longed for her and for what? To have it thrown back in his face; for her to choose _Tyler Lockwood_ over him!

He had respected her wishes and let her go. But not before he made sure one day she would become his. Even as years went by and he was still unable to purge her from his system, he was comforted by the knowledge she would eventually be his. She was the most infuriating living being to ever affect him so.

Keeping his voice light, he asked, "why me, love? After all this time, why come to me?"

His heart clenched at her next words.

"Even after everything," she begun, "you are still the only one I trust."

The words stung him; burned him; made him feel regret, an affliction that did not often affect him. His gaze steeled and his lips twisted into a grimace. "That is a most unwise decision," he murmured darkly, threading his fingers through her hair.

She snorted, conceding his point. "Probably."

Klaus stared at her for a long moment, taking in the soft glow of her skin and the bright spark in her bluer-than-blue eyes. She trusted him completely. It was a concept so foreign to him he didn't know what to do with this new information. Instead, he smiled slow and languidly. "I will deal with the mob in the morning, love," he whispered, tracing his finger over his name, careful not to reopen the wound.

She winced.

"But first, I will heal you."

Klaus brought his right arm up to his mouth, barred his fangs and ripped into his own flesh without a second thought. The pain was a dull sensation, hardly worthy of noting. As he pulled back he looked to Caroline, who appeared downright astonished. "Drink," he said gruffly as he thrust his arm before her mouth.

Caroline sighed and eyed him wearily before pressing her lips against his flesh, sucking softly. He groaned at the sensation of his blood being drawn from his body. It was a slow burn, one that he relished for the pleasure he receive in return. He watched her as she drank, eyes falling to her shoulder where his mark had already started to fade. Pity, though there was always next time. He smirked at that. Oh, yes. There would be several repeats of this night.

As Caroline's lips parted from Klaus' arm he made a small noise of displeasure. "Done so soon?"

She wiped away the excess blood and glared at him. "I..," she paused, brows furrowed and expression unsure. "I need some air," she declared.

Klaus leaned forward, trailing butterfly kisses along her newly healed shoulder. "What is mine is yours, Caroline," he husked. "Feel free to roam as you please."

Caroline jerked away from him and he frowned. "Please tell me you have an extra gown somewhere since you ripped mine to shreds."

"Of course," he answered, gesturing towards the wardrobe across the room. "There is a fine selection in there."

She was on her feet in seconds, taking the sheet with her.

"What? No thank you?" he said in question.

She glared at him. "Thank you," she bit out before dressing hastily and fleeing from his room with agile feet.

Once she reached the courtyard of Klaus' castle, she breathed a sigh of relief, loving the way the cold air cooled her insides.

At least, she was alone.

It would seem, however, her peace was to be short lived.

.

.

.

Caroline's scream pierced the air with crystal clear clarity. A jolt of fear shot through Klaus' body and before he could form coherent thought, his feet were leading him outside his castle with quick, forceful steps. The scene that greeted him outside his large, iron gates was not one he was prepared for. There was a lease forty of them, torches held high in anger and defiance. Puny humans, who thought themselves invincible, come to lynch the murderous wench and stake the creature of fable.

A large man held Caroline against him by the throat, her blue eyes wide with fear. "We're jus' gonna take dis lil' miss and be on our way," the man said in garbled English, dull brown eyes hard, sword lax at his side.

Klaus simply stood there, assessing the situation. He could kill them all easily; their wooden stakes and silver tipped swords were hardly a threat to him. The only problem that remained was Caroline, her humanity made her vulnerable. Even though his blood pulsed through her, she wasn't ready to become a vampire. Not yet. He hadn't groomed her quite enough. Klaus cocked his head to the side, eyes blackening as he stared at the men like a wolf would his prey. "Release Caroline," he said evenly, tone dripping with the unsaid promise of violence. "Or I will kill every last one of you," he grins sadistically, "after which, I will hunt down every living relative of yours and rip out their hearts."

The man swallowed nervously. "I ain't neva made no deal with a devil, not gonna start now," he returned with a glower. He swung the sword upwards, holding it precariously close to Caroline's neck.

An animalistic growl ripped from Klaus' throat at the action. "Harm her," he promised darkly, "and I will peel the flesh from your bones."

The villager smirked, the others surrounding him shuffling nervously. Klaus could hear as the pulse of their hearts sped up, the scent of anticipation and fear filling the air suddenly. His eyes narrowed. Something was building, sparking, and he was going to be prepared for it. In the next instant, the entire atmosphere exploded from tense calm to outright chaos. Caroline jabbed her elbow into her capturer's side, startling him into releasing her. She stumbled away, glaring red gash slashed across the side of her cheek. "_Klaus!_" she shouted, his name tearing from her lips like a prayer.

Klaus rushed to snatch her out of harm's way but the villagers were on him like vermin. Two appeared behind him, grasping both of his arms to hold him in place as a third charged, stake raised high. With the strength of a thousand men, Klaus pulled his arms from the men's grasp and twisted so that when they charged back towards him his hands delved into their chest cavities. He retracted both hands, relieving the villagers' of their still-beating hearts. They fell into the mud, now merely blood soaked corpses. As he whipped around, facing the third man, he felt the familiar pinch of a wooden stake being driven into his heart. Pain exploded throughout his chest but he merely grinned through it like the mad man he was.

"Sorry, mate," he grounded out, taking delight in the way the villager stumbled back in shock. "It takes a lot more than that to kill a hybrid." Klaus reached forward then, removing the wooden stake with a wince and tossing it to the ground. He locked eyes with the man and flashed forward, cleaving the man's head clear off his shoulders.

Twisting by his heel, Klaus scanned the area for Caroline. She stood a ways away, bloodied sword grasped tightly in her hand, fear etched into her face. His eyes narrowed as he once again began stalking towards her, dispatching the humans who dared to stand in his way with practiced ease. Most fled once they discovered their medieval weapons had no hold over him.

She spotted him, relief flooding her features and the grip on her weapon loosening, her fatal mistake.

The man that had dared to challenge Klaus appeared behind her suddenly and thrust his sword forward with a vengeance. The sickening scrape of metal against flesh and bone rang out, clear even amongst the loud clamor of the carnage surrounding them. Time slowed; all Klaus was capable of seeing was Caroline. He watched as her expression changed from relieved, to shocked, to gut wrenching pain as a gargled scream bubbled from her mouth. It seemed to take ages for her to fall to the ground, the crimson of her blood staining the front of the blue dress she had thrown on quickly before parting from his warm embrace.

Klaus found himself unable to breathe, unable to _think_. His entire world turned on its axis as he watched the light fade from her too-blue eyes; watched as her chest heaved what could be her very last breath. Klaus stood there and watched as her soul begun to flee from her body, ultimately leaving behind a cold, dead corpse; an empty shell of the woman he coveted, sought out, lusted after and, perhaps, _even loved_.

He snapped.

The next moment he had her killer by his throat, crushing his esophagus tortuously slow. The man gargled, kicking furiously as he tried to breathe. "You should have heeded my warning," Klaus said, voice dripping with acidic derision. "I will make sure your linage suffers in your wake," he squeezed tighter, a thrill of satisfaction crawling down his spine as the man's eyes rolled into the back of his head. "Mark my words." With an audible crunch, Klaus crushed the man's trachea and discarded him like trash, turning his crazy, determined gaze on the five remaining men.

"Who's next?" he snarled, eyes black with an anger so deep he shook.

With a flurry of movement Klaus descended upon them like black revenge, ripping them apart, claws slashing and fangs ripping into disgusting flesh. He relished in their screams for mercy, their agony. He lost himself in it, the beautiful feel of their thick blood on his skin. By the end, he was covered head to toe in it, the picture of macabre.

He watched dispassionately as one of the remaining men choked on his own blood, an unrecognizable, twisted and broken end to his former self. Klaus turned his back on him and begun to trek back towards Caroline's broken body.

Caroline blinked; the stars in the sky shone down on her and the carnage that surrounded her. They were incredibly beautiful as they twinkled in the sky. Why had she not noticed their beauty before?

Drawing in a shuddering breath, she gritted her teeth, trying to stop the groan that escaped as excruciating pain coursed through her. She tried to move her hands, her legs, tried to sit up, but she couldn't. Why was her body so heavy? Why did it hurt so much? _Please_, she thought helplessly, _someone make it stop._

It couldn't end now. She couldn't die. Not when she had realized that a part of her had always loved Klaus; loved him despite the darkness that lived within him. Fate was cruel to take this away from her, but when had it ever been kind?

Finally managing to move her hand, she lifted it to touch her wound. It came away stained with crimson blood. There was so much of it, around her, on her. It hurt to breath. Each breath she took, it was as if someone was carving out her insides.

However…she had to hold on for him. She couldn't leave this earth without saying goodbye.

Turning her head, she took in the bodies lying nearby, flesh and bone torn apart and scattered about. The ground was bathed in blood and in the middle of the chaos stood Klaus.

Her Klaus.

His clothes, drenched in blood, clung to his body as he made his way through the corpses to reach her. The mask had fallen off his face, leaving a kaleidoscope of rage, anguish and hurt.

"Klaus," she said, his name falling from her cracked lips as she lifted a bloodied hand in to reach for him.

He flashed to her side, hands gently lifting her up, cradling her to his chest. His expression darkened at the agonizing gasp she exhaled as pain shot through her.

Klaus looked down at the dying human girl in his arms. "Caroline," he whispered, voice tight and tone strained. No, he couldn't lose her. Not when she had just come back to him. He waited so long for her to choose him and now, when she finally had, he was losing her. He was supposed to keep her safe; supposed to make sure no harm befell her humanity. He'd promised her.

"Caroline," he growled in desperation. "Stay with me." Raising his wrist to his lips, he bit into it savagely, opening up his flesh and thrusting it towards her, forcing her to take it in.

She pushed his hand away and shook her head. "It's too late Klaus—" she broke off, coughing up blood. Whimpering at the pain that flooded her senses, she looked down at her body, drenched in her own blood, her voice faint. "I don't have much time."

"Be silent," he rumbled, nails digging into her flesh and he fought to restrain himself. She would still survive; there was time. He would force the blood down her throat if need be; if only in case the amount he'd given her earlier wasn't enough.

"I want—I want you to listen to me," Caroline begun dimly, her hand grabbing at his shirt weakly. It was now a struggle to keep her eyes open, her body was growing numb. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and drift off into the darkness. It was so comforting, the soft lull of eternal sleep. So this is what it felt like to die. At least she wouldn't feel the pain anymore. But before she left, she had to tell him how she felt.

Forcing her eyes to stay open, she looked into his stricken face and for the first time she knew that what she felt for him, he felt for her in return. How ironic was it that he finally opened up to her as she lay dying.

"Klaus," she murmured, lifting her hand and cradling his face, his stubble rough against her palm. She was using her last reserves of strength to fight against the darkness, but it was overwhelming her, weakening her. She could no longer hold it at bay. "I—I love—"

Klaus watched helplessly as she stopped speaking abruptly. "Caroline?" He shook her gently, "_Caroline!_" he said again, this time her name tearing from his throat with a choked crack.

And with a soft sigh, the last of the light faded from her eyes.

He sat shock still as he took in her lifeless from in his arms.

"No," he rasped in denial. "No, no, _no_," he repeated, clutching her to his chest as he sat there rocking back and forth, holding onto the only girl he ever cared for, the only being he truly loved, the only one who had any hold over him. Instead of keeping her safe, he had let her die. She was what tethered him to sanity all these years and now she was gone. Everything he loved about her was gone and he was left to hold her dead and decaying corpse.

He threw his head back and howled to the night sky, grief ripping from his throat as he screamed until it was raw.

Seconds, minutes, hours passed by and he didn't care. He just sat there in his courtyard, amidst the dead, bleeding bodies, holding onto the only person he had ever made the mistake of loving.

Delicately, he scooped her broken body off the ground and started towards his castle, not caring for the carnage he left behind.

He may have lost the human girl he loved, but she would wake again, more like him than she ever wished to be.

She would become a vampire and he would be there to welcome her with open arms even as he mourned the loss of her humanity.

The first touch Caroline felt was a clammy, rough hand in hers. The first smell; an overpowering stench of blood, sweat and death. The first noise; a scurrying one, like a mouse running across a stone floor, and then soft, distant whimpering of her own lips. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, she could tell she was lying on a bed and that Klaus was sitting next to her.

Her eyes opened; blurry and incoherent as she tried to recollect the events that bought her to this place. Klaus sat next to her on the bed, his eyes wide and contemplative, his jaw clenched as he lowered his head to look at her better. If she wasn't so confused and frazzled she would have caught the deep seated dread in his eyes, but her head was spinning, all the blood on his shirt was making her gums ache, her throat burn and her eyes unfocused. Flashes after flashes hit her, heaps of colors and blurry movements, but nothing definite.

Grumbling, she closed her eyes, hoping it would pass when she opened her eyes once more.

And there was Klaus again.

But it was different this time. He looked different, his hair was longer, his clothes clean and the place... she wasn't in his room anymore, she was in the forest and it was raining. The heavy rain pelted down, drenching them both as she stood shaking on her feet, her hands grasped within Klaus'. The rain masked the tears that streaked down her cheeks. Klaus in comparison looked so broken, so lost.

"You're making a mistake Caroline," he rumbled angrily and she flinched at the venom in his voice. His face was barely an inch from hers as he ground his teeth together.

"K-Klaus you don't understand...," she stammered, the cold rain making her shiver.

He pulled away from her then, leaving her shuddering frame to rot in the rain. But suddenly two hands grasped her arms, hands she couldn't see, and the image ahead of her twisted horribly and then flickered out of existence.

She was back in the room, and Klaus was shaking her, yelling at her to focus on him.

Was she hallucinating? What had just happened? She knew that place, the stream in the background, the small hut nearby. That was their spot, where they always met. Why were such imagines flashing before her eyes?

"Caroline...," Klaus called out. She raised her head to look at him, but the blurriness kicked in once more. Klaus was there, the real Klaus, standing in front of her, but then there was the other one, right next to him, both versions calling out to her.

She closed her eyes once more, opening up her mind to the scene in the forest. Klaus stood two feet from her, his hands hanging by his side, face etched into a scowl and eyes drowning in pain.

_What is happening?_ Caroline went to say, but instead the words that came out of her mouth were, "I can't be with you Klaus, I can't let you corrupt my fragile existence. I'm marrying Tyler... and soon."

Her head bowed in shame and at fear of his reaction, she wrung her hands together in dread. He was silent for so long she thought he had left, but then a menacing growl ripped from his throat, causing her to retract from his extended hands.

No matter how he made her feel, _fear_ would always be the one emotion she'd associate with Klaus.

"You will regret this," he snarled, the veins under his eyes darkening. "I assure you, Caroline, one day you will come to me."

"I will never come to you," she said, the words spilling from her lips instinctually.

In a flash, the back of her head hit the bark of the tree, his strong hands pushing on her waist, holding her in place. He breathed on her, igniting a wave of fear through her, their noses almost touching he was so close. She could see her own fate written in his maddened eyes. His one hand travelled up from her waist, in between the valley of her breasts, before going under her dress.

He wrenched his hand out of the front of her dress just as suddenly, holding a necklace in his hand. The necklace he had given her.

She opened her mouth to yell, to plead and beg but she was back in his room now, her cheek flat against Klaus's chest, the blood on his body and clothes making her hiss in need. Abruptly, she pulled away from him, an unbecoming growl escaping her. Tears prickled at her eyes as she looked at him. From his slouched shoulders and flickering eyes she knew, she _knew_ the truth.

She could feel the veins under her eyes darkening, fangs itching to break through her gums. "I'm not imagining it."

His lips quirked slightly, but he still refused to meet her eyes.

"It's a memory," she stated in a heartbroken whisper. "The memory of what you did; of what you compelled _me_ to do."

She closed her eyes and she was back there once again, fighting against his grip as he pushed her harder against the tree. She wouldn't let him to do this. She wouldn't.

"Open your eyes," he growled into her face. "Don't be a coward, Caroline."

At that her eyes flew open, ablaze with so much hatred that it captivated him; she was always such the temptress.

She wouldn't beg, no she wouldn't allow herself to. She would hold onto the last morsels of self-respect she had.

Klaus looked into her eyes, no shame swimming within for the act he was about to commit. "One day, Tyler will ask the impossible, he will take too much, and when he does, sweetheart, I want you to drive a knife through his heart," he hissed, the pull of compulsion leaving his lips, swirling about in the air. Caroline's pupils dilated as his compulsion settled into her, taking hold of her subconscious mind. She repeated his words and he smiled wolfishly.

"Once you come to, you will seek me out, for it is my help you will need," he added, satisfied by the way she nodded involuntarily. "Now, you will forget this conversation ever transpired, love," he concluded.

"Yes," she said, and he smiled at her, bringing his lips to brush against hers in parting.

"Until then," he whispered before disappearing into the night.

Caroline ripped herself from Klaus' grip, throwing herself towards the door as she grappled for anything to harm him with. She spotted a vase by the door and grabbed for it, flinging it across the room, the projectile aimed at Klaus's head. He flicked it away in one easy motion. "Sweetheart, _listen_ to me!"

"You compelled me!" she screeched, tears obstructing her sight as she backed away from him. He had betrayed her, forced his will on her, and crossed the one line he had promised her he never would. He had done all of this to her after she had dared to _trust_ him.

Even that, she supposed, was a lie.

"_Caroline_," Klaus begun dangerously.

"Get away from me," she snarled, backing away from him. "You're a monster. A _monster!_ You made me kill Tyler… Oh, god… Tyler…" she broke off with a sob, fisting her hands against her face as tears coated her skin.

Klaus regarded her coolly. "That is where you are mistaken, love," he said darkly, venom coating his words. "You were only to plunge that knife through his heart when he asked the impossible. The command was there, but only if you felt there was no hope. You made that distinction. Tyler decided his own fate when he attempted to whore you out like a common harlot."

"Shut up," Caroline spat, tears streaming freely now. "You don't know the first thing about Tyler."

Klaus cocked his head to the right. "Don't I, though? He was a scoundrel; a menace. You deserved much finer company," he trailed off, stalking closer to her as he brought his hand up to stroke her tear stained cheek.

"Fine company?" she echoed, flinching away. "What? Like you _Klaus?_" she said his name like it was poison, rolling off her tongue with a hateful cadence.

An inhuman snarl resonated from his throat. "Precisely."

"Screw you."

Klaus grinned, eyes dark. "Been there, done that, sweetheart."

That was when Caroline noticed her, the small waif of a girl standing in the corner of the room, eyes blank. Her simple mud colored dress was coated in blood, dirt and grime. Caroline startled, the girl's pulse beating like an impossibly loud drum in her ears. Her gums ached as she felt a mighty need burning in the back of her throat; the need for blood, to feed, to become that what she wished to never be.

"Ah," Klaus hummed, walking across the room to the girl, placing his hand on the small of her back and forcing her forward. "I see you've notice your transitional meal."

Caroline felt herself take a step forward, bloodlust clouding her judgment. All she could hear was the beat of the girl's heart, the hum of blood pulsing through her body. It threatened to overwhelm her but she halted suddenly, gasping and coming to her senses. "Who is she?" Caroline asked tightly, fighting against the torturous pain in the roof of her mouth, begging for release.

"Does it matter?" Klaus inquired, running his calloused hand over the girl's jugular, daring Caroline to sink her teeth into her neck.

Caroline gritted her teeth. "It matters to me."

Klaus sighed, irritation showing in the twitch of his brow. "The man who killed you," he said in explanation, "this is his pathetic daughter." He grinned sadistically. "She watched me slaughter her family and begged to join them. Poor little dove, she had no idea the plans I had for her." When he looked to Caroline, their gazes locking, the bottomless blackness that greeted her scared her to her very core.

"And you want me to feed from her?" Caroline croaked, the reality of the situation hitting her like a ton of bricks. "No," she refused resolutely, eyes daring him to force her. "I would sooner die."

Klaus growled, barring his fangs and biting into the girl without warning, thick blood seeping from her wound as he feasted; the blood trickled down the front of her tattered dress in copious amounts. Caroline's breath hitched, her self-control all but being torn to shreds. She rushed forward like a crazed animal as Klaus pulled back, crimson blood coating his front. She was a breath away from sinking her own elongated fangs into the girl's sweet flesh when she remembered.

Klaus.

He turned her into this.

Compelled her to kill Tyler.

And now…

She was going to kill this girl whose only crime was being related to the man with enough sense to drive a sword through her gut.

"No," Caroline screamed, tearing herself away from the girl and clawing at her own face in frustration. "No, I won't," she met Klaus' gaze with fierce determination. "You cannot _make_ me," she snarled.

He was in front of her in a flash, their noses touching. He simply stared at her, a thousand emotions rippling across his eyes. And then, in storm of feeling, he decided. She felt his hand tear into her chest cavity; felt the way her flesh gave way as his hand tore its way up inside of her, grip settling on her dead heart. "Live or die, Caroline," he snapped, cold determination set in his gaze. "The choice is yours."

Who was he to say that the choice was hers? He held her heart in his hands; both literally and figuratively. And no matter the answer she gave him, no matter the choice, either way it seemed her heart would be taken, with or without her consent.

She wondered, if in the years to come, Klaus would grow to regret his brash move. For dead or alive, Caroline would never forgive him. Dead or alive, she would haunt him for eternity.

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**Sorry for the ambiguous ending! We thought it suited the fic quite well. We are open to the idea of a prequel and/or sequel. Let us know if you liked it? concrit welcome!**

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